As part of a project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), they are developing a system to ensure a decentralized, solar-powered electricity and water supply in rural areas. In addition to the scientific work, there is also time for an accompanying program. On Tuesday, the students visited the Ivorian national soccer player Odilon Kossounou from Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Côte d'Ivoire is a football-loving country and will host the Africa Cup in January 2024. So it was hardly surprising that the students were also full of anticipation for the extraordinary meeting. After all, Odilon Kossounou is a current international player for "Les Elephants", as the Ivorian national team is known. Equipped with jerseys from their national team, the travel group made their way to Leverkusen.
There, they were able to attend the league leaders' training session in the morning, after which Kossounou welcomed the group in the mixed zone of the BayArena. Edmond Tapsoba, a defender from neighboring West African country Burkina Faso, also joined the group and chatted animatedly with the students. The numerous requests for photos and autographs were happily fulfilled.
The trip would have been a complete success by now, but Kossounou surprised the students with a spontaneous invitation to lunch together and tickets for the upcoming Bundesliga home game against SC Freiburg. Eventful days for the young people, who are currently around 7800 kilometers away from home. Special thanks go to the Bayer Leverkusen team for making this day possible in such an uncomplicated way.
The Hochschule Niederrhein is hosting the students until January 2024, during which time they will be working on the Industry Integrated Dual Engineering Studies in a North-South Collaboration project. This is being carried out at the SWK E² - Institute of Energy Technology and Energy Management at The Hochschule Niederrhein. The project prototype is due to go into operation in the village of Legroskro near Duékoué in Côte d'Ivoire in summer 2024, supplying around 300 to 500 people.
